1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an operation control device for an electronic apparatus, which may transmit power information and product information of the electronic apparatus to a control device, and receive control signals from the control device to control the operation of the electronic apparatus.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In recent years, as a method for controlling the power supply to electronic apparatuses such as TVs, computers, audio devices, and the like, a technology in which a load detection circuit or a power control circuit is built in a socket or a power adaptor (or power strip) connected between a socket and an electronic apparatus to interrupt the power supplied to the electronic apparatus has been disclosed. However, when the load detection circuit, the power control circuit, or the like is built in the socket, the size of the socket is increased or the number of an outlet is reduced so that there is a restriction in the control for each of individual electronic apparatuses. In addition, since the power adaptor can be freely removed by a user, the control of power usage of individual electronic apparatuses is not possible, so that the efficiency in terms of energy demand management understandably decreases in an existing method.
Accordingly, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the like have recently announced a policy to mandate that smart meters with external communication functions should be built in electronic apparatuses within the home, and Korea has also mandated that products cannot be sold unless the smart meter function is built in air conditioners, starting in 2015. However, this results in a cost increase of the electronic apparatus which causes an increase in the cost burden, and at the same time, the above-described policy has many restrictions as a commercialization policy to cope with weather changes and encourage energy saving in that there are many difficulties in adding a power control technique to a digital control technique which is a key technique of the existing electronic apparatus so it takes a long time to replace the existing electronic apparatuses with smart electronic apparatuses. In addition, as an external shock such as lightning due to the weather changes occurs frequently, the damage to expensive smart electronic apparatuses is further increased.
Furthermore, according to the prior art, a user cannot remotely control the operation of the electronic apparatus.